Some of the millions of dollars raised from viewers during the “Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief” has been distributed.

“Hope for Haiti Now” (HFHN) announced on Thursday that they have begun distribution of the first installment of funds raised during the star-studded telethon held on January 22.

HFHN said it has allotted $35 million to begin funding both immediate disaster relief, and reconstruction and recovery efforts in Haiti. Of that initial total, Oxfam America will receive $8 million, Partners In Health will receive $8 million, the American Red Cross will receive $6 million, UNICEF will receive $6 million, the United Nations World Food Programme will receive $6 million, and Yele Haiti Foundation will receive $1 million.

A press release from HFHN said each of the organizations submitted proposals to receive the funding which will be used for projects including distribution of meals, emergency shelter and clean water systems.

I recently returned from two weeks deployment to work with survivors of the earthduake in Haiti. I am concerned that it is so challenging to get services for the clients that do not fit neatly in the formula for assistance. For example, when a family with a severely injured child enters the US from the Dominican Republic rather than Haiti, they are not elligible for the humanitarian parole status and are not able to get Medicaid, housing, food stamps, etc. Many of these survivors need extensive afercare, not available in Haiti, and are not able to travel yet. There needs to be an plan to support these families on our American soil, and a plan for the continuity of care. Every single person I worked with had suffered incredible losses but managed to be gracious, stoic, and devoted to their family.
Now that I am home, I'm concerned about the clients I left behind. I see this as an international problem landing on American shores. The earthquake was in Haiti, but the after shocks are here. This humanitarian crisis is here. Can you live witht he idea that a child survived the earhtquake, but died because of a lack of aftercare here in the US? Not on my watch. Abbe

In the context of creating a new Haiti, the old Haiti will return. The old Haiti that was declared an enemy of western civilizations and values. The enemy that proclaimed Black Power to the world as the POWER of RESISTANCE. The power of influence to liberate Latin America and propel abolitionists world wide.

In the haste to rebuild a new Haiti, let's become aware of the following:

Haiti will not become a model of western democracy. Haitian value system and life mode is communal. The new Haiti will not function as dictated by Haitian scholars who represent western ideologies. There's a lot of "big talk" using "big words" but the new Haiti will not be influenced by those concepts because they do not fit our make up. The outside views that Haitians are incapable need to be immediately abolished. It is important to reshape the scope of evaluation for Haiti because change is coming reguardless.

Is it so wise to pin point Haitian failure on every attempt? I live in a country where nothing works for the poor. The poor pays taxes and gets zero representation to influence. The politicians and government lie, steal, plot, extort, bribe, conspire, invade, kill, torment, torture, denigrate... yet, we do not insist on their ineffectiveness and poor judgment. Haitians always say, "Dan pouri gin fos sou bannan mi" "Rotten teeth show strength with bananas".

Who are the people who have been enjoying Haiti and its beauty? It is not the massive poor Haitians. More than 45 thousand international personnel along with well to do Haitians enjoy the best plot of land, housing, the best hotels, the beaches, the delicacies, an the resources. In this case Haiti has been functioning well! It has managed to uplift the rich and privileged while downing the massive poor. This is in perfect alliance with western ideology. The massive poor Haitian says no to this arrangement and it is best to listen and adhere.

So one cannot blame anyone for the state of Haiti because I am part a society where one does not cast blames. We do not take ownership for ill doings, only accept the awards and the bravado.

Haitians are responsible for allowing the enemy to infiltrate our systems. It is Haitians who have sold over the country, it will have to be Haitians who take charge of its renewal. We should forget the international sanctions, we should forget the importation of 30 yr old frozen goods New Yorkers wouldn't even feed their rats. We should forget the destruction of the black pigs, our rice fields, or coffee, cocoa, sugar, molasses, the avocados and mangoes. Let us also forget that while we have been under major international debts, the nations that owe us reparation are primary in the list of the nations stiffing our growth.

How can one expect Haiti to mimic the organization of any other state, especially the super powers, when the ideals grounding the formation of Haiti are based on maintaining A FREE BLACK NATION. The demise of Haiti has been the struggle to maintain a free state and the influence of our most prominent western educated scholars who are obviously regurgitating "massa" language and law.

In the presence of chaos, hunger, illiteracy, political upheavals, floods, cyclones, earthquakes, when one lands on Haiti soil it is love at first breath. Why? For most folks it is the first time they breathe freedom air (what is left of it). Ask any Haitian and they will say, stepping off that plane into Haiti soil, all the bills and the stress of a democratic nation go AWAY.

Debates are wonderful but they commit to no actualization of work that leads to progress. "Min anpil chay pa lou. Pise krapo enkouraje la rivye desann. Nan pami diri ti roche goute gres." The proverbial messages make up our foundation and should dictate to anyone the philosophies guiding Haitian life style. "Many hands make the cargo light. Even the frog's piss encourages the river's flow. Among the rice, little rocks are sure to taste grease."

In the community of life one is as strong as the next being.

So all of a sudden CNN updates us on drug trafficking in Haiti, DR and the rest of Latin America. Absurd! This recent news update only reinforces the fact that US intention to deliver aid to Haiti is tinted with outside motives. That is why about 22,000 troops are off the coast of Haiti. 900 UN troops inside the country not to mentions US troops inside and OMG we cannot forget Brazilian troops et al...

So what if all these personnel and military folks were to really focus on relief, to focus on providing relief to the massive poor? The result would be different but they would not play into the master plan.

What is the master plan? The master plan has always been the same when it comes to providing Haitians in Haiti with international aid. "We let them starve till they riot. That only gives us more ground to stay down there and monitor the Latin American drug trade."
LP

AMERICANS HELD IN HAITI RELEASED:
Imagine for a moment, if it was the way around.. 10 Haitians took one american child.. leave alone 30 children, take them out of the country in the name of rescuing.. without documents.. what would those Haitian's fate be? Forgiven, released with grace? Some Haiti spokesman said.. there were no laws broken when those kids were taken out the country.. what? Even international laws demand documents on anyone who leaves their country of origin!

My point? Haiti like most poor countries will continue to bow at those they perceive as their rescuers! Speaking of financial help. will all this money donated end up in the hands of that country's corrupt thugs, who would be salivating right now to send that $$ to France?

Nice to see this money distributed, its all good.....Canadians have donated a quarter of a billion for the Haiti relief (and rising)....yup $225 million from a country of approx 30 million citizens...pretty generous eh! 🙂

A good friend used to run the annual kettle drive for the SA in a major city and he said that the money never went to the poor; it went to upgrade facilities and buy more vans. I don't support them and see the group as fraudulent with their claims. Also, my father in law says that overseas during the war, the Red Cross gave away coffee and donuts to the servicemen and the SA charged for them. Enough said, in my view.

What percentage of money given to these agencies is used for "administartive" purposes ie the outrageous salaries for top executives at these "non profits?"

Is 100% of money distributed? I doubt it very much.

What is ahead for Haiti after the remains of bodies and building debris have been cleared from the streets, and emergency relief efforts, subside? This is a question still largely ignored.

The answer lies in having a sense of history, knowing the island’s people, and in understanding what was needed before the earthquake hit.

There are hundreds of smaller groups doing a far better job of getting aid on the ground and aleady have infrastructure.

Haiti Community Support/haitisupport.org created a dozen years before the earthquake, indicates that it is “ more efficient than the typical international aid organizations for the island, which often run an expensive office in the USA or France or in Port au Prince. At
Haiti Community Support there are no middlemen, no finance authority holding money and taking their piece.

Anderson Cooper is doing a wonderful job in Haiti. Especially with all those corruption Haiti have .The Haitian goverment is nothing good.

Please Anderson stay in Haiti ! Anderson the Haitian people needs you right now, cnn seems to be the only network news that is doing a wonderful job for our loves one in Haiti and not only that you guys showed the careness for the people . I congrat all of you guys.

This charity is questionable. I made a donation and my credit card was charged twice. I called them and they said there were three donations put through. I made one! I am still waiting for my refund.
George Clooney, it's not nice to fool people that are generously contributing to your charity.

When donating to the Red Cross you can specify that your contribution goes to a particular disaster relief. I'm sure thats what has happened with the telethon donation to the Red Cross. Just an FYI to the previous poster. The Salvation Army is a great organization.

Salvo Supporter: You are so right. The country will never know how much of the money they donated to Katrina never got to Katrina victims, and I was part of disaster relief with Red Cross and it they spent as little as possible. It is 100% politics, make it look good on the outside and do what you want on the inside. The Salvation Army does so much good for the communities and people that they serve and they give their entire lives to that service, it isn't a 9-5. But people see what they want to see and do what they want to do. Yes, the Red Cross has done good things, but in the end we are all responsible for our actions good and bad, and one bad action can outweigh a million good. We are committing to rebuilding Haiti, what about New Orleans. Obama hasn't even gone to Haiti yet. What a joke.

Why no help for the Salvation Army? Their costs to their admin staff are far less than that of the Red Cross, and unlike the Red Cross, when they raise funds for a disaster, the funds actually go to THAT disaster, not held in a general fund for future disasters. They are generally there on the ground first, helping people and giving aid. They are one of the most honorable and upstanding insitutions I know, yet no aid for the Salvo's? Very disappointing.

I certainly hope the money goes to the right places – and of course where it is needed the most. Unfortunately, they will never make everyone happy, and someone will accuse someone else of handling it all wrong.